Chapter 17
Vad
Briar blurred into motion, shoving Kaylen behind her as Silus’s blade came down.
My heart stopped. What was she doing? I moved forward to shield Briar, but there wasn’t time.
Kaylen stumbled, gasping, nearly tripping over the uneven stone floor. The sword missed her by inches, sparking against the ground with a sharp ring of steel meeting stone.
“Stop!” I barked, standing between the sword and Briar.
Silus growled, and his nostrils flared. “She doesn’t belong here.” His sword didn’t leave his hand. He turned sharply and spotted Siray stepping from the shadows, the dim glow of the orb lamp outlining her silhouette.
“You brought Kaylen?” His voice turned hard. “And one of the other candidates?”
I gritted my teeth, my heart returning to the regular rhythm now that Briar was out of danger. I didn’t like his tone. It was clear he thought I’d once again made a bad decision.
Before I could answer, a familiar voice echoed from behind him.
“Well, if you were going to bring back reinforcements, you could’ve done better,” Thalen drawled, poking his head around the corner.
The flickering lamplight caught on his silver-white hair, casting a ghostly sheen over his grin.
“Though, I’m not thrilled Silus wasn’t able to kill that one before Briar saved the ungrateful wench. ”
Briar exhaled, but her grip on Kaylen didn’t ease. “She swore she’d tell us everything she knows. If she doesn’t, Silus can finish the job, or we can hand her back over to the guards.”
Snorting, Kaylen lifted a brow. “You’d never be able to do that. You want to be everyone’s savior.”
The urge to strike the horrid woman soared through me again.
Few people ever made me feel so violent by merely talking.
I pivoted around Briar and shoved Kaylen away from her.
“Do not speak ill of my queen again. You’d be dead if it weren’t for her, and she won’t have to be the one to harm you.
After everything you did to her, I will enjoy taking your life, and I can ensure that whatever fate Colm and Calla Lily had in store for you looks like a mercy if you ever cross Briar again. ”
“You’d better be right about this.” Silus wrinkled his nose and focused on Siray.
“Whoa!” Siray stepped back. “I’m not here to cause trouble, but I am here to take those pyre pots down.”
“Enough.” I clapped Silus on the shoulder. “They’re with us. For now. Did Finbar’s men arrive?”
He nodded, still coiled tight. “They dropped off supplies—blankets, food, oil, and medicine. Nothing fancy, but better than starving. Some decent blades too.”
“And the shadow beasts?”
Silus’s jaw flexed. “Two attacks by yellow-eyed bastards. We held them off, but they’re getting bolder. They were focused on the western entrance, probably smelled the guards trying to leave.”
Thalen gave an exaggerated shrug. “Too bad they didn’t lose their magic too. Fighting insane shadow beasts wasn’t in my plans, but hey, why not? It’s just so much fun.”
“Is everyone safe?” Briar’s voice was steadier than I expected. She kept an eye on Kaylen.
“So far. The palace is old, but the tunnels are holding, and water is flowing. We won’t be impacted by the flooding. The good news is we have strong doors. Never thought I’d be so grateful for having working doors.”
"If you're commenting on what happened back in the onyx cellar, I'll have you know we kept the doors shut the whole time. But if you want a show, just let me know." Thalen waggled his brows.
Silus glared at him. "Not the time or the place."
Thalen shrugged and winked, his grin coy. "Maybe not now. But you really ought to try—”
“Do not finish that statement.” The last thing I wanted to think about was Silus doing anything like that with my sister. “Or I will kill you.”
“At least I’m not the only one he’s threatening,” Kaylen muttered.
Thalen looked down his nose at her with a sharp lift of his eyebrow. “Don’t even try to put yourself at my level.”
Before anyone could respond, Elara’s head peeked around the corner. Her dark-blue eyes focused on us, then moved to Kaylen and widened. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t want to explain multiple times, so I gestured behind her. “Let’s get inside, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Elara stepped aside, though her sharp gaze remained pinned on Kaylen and Siray. “Ladies.” She gestured them through.
Kaylen entered first, her chin high despite the bruises. Siray followed close behind with her lamp and bomb still in her hand.
Elara arched a brow. Her posture seemed steadier than before.
Though her skin was still pale and bruised, and one wing gave a faint twitch, there was a quiet resilience in her now.
An unwavering strength that reminded me of Briar.
“I suppose we should go in,” she said, voice dry.
“Make sure our guests aren’t gutted on sight—since I assume their presence isn’t without purpose? ”
My father always told me that enemies of my enemies could be useful in war. “It’s not.”
Thalen leaned against the wall with a grin. “Well, Chaos is involved, so that’s the answer.” He winked at Briar. “You’ve got a real knack for picking up strays. Just try to keep them from bleeding on the carpet. Oh, wait, we don't have carpet. Go ahead and bleed then.”
Briar gave him a half-smile in return, the kind that could pass for confidence to anyone else. But I noticed her lips trembling at the edges. The bond between us stretched thinner than before, fraying like old thread.
Then chaos erupted.
“Why are you two here?” Rhielle’s voice cracked through the air like a whip.
Briar stiffened beside me.
“You know these women?” Veralt demanded, his tone edged with concern, as if he were evaluating what he was supposed to do.
Quen’s voice followed, sharper and angrier. “What in the fecking forsaken void are you doing here?”
“Sounds like we’ve missed the warm welcome,” Thalen muttered.
“We should’ve been faster,” I growled and picked up my pace.
“Please don’t worry about making me feel unwanted,” Kaylen said from within, voice layered in thorns.
“You are unwanted,” Quen snapped. “After what you pulled, I’m shocked you’d actually show your face to us. Hold on. Siray? What are you doing here? What’s going on? You think I’ve forgotten what you did? I’ve got fire for both of you!”
“Please stop,” Myantha said, her voice soft. “We can’t fight among ourselves. Briar must have a reason for bringing them here. We’ve lost too many friends to lose potential allies now.”
We stepped into the vesting chamber just as the argument heightened.
“You need to leave and go jump in the void now!” Quen stood with her arms crossed, feet planted wide, fury radiating off her in waves.
Kaylen tossed her hair back, the motion stiff with pride. “You’re acting like I knew I’d be made a fool of! Do you think I wanted to be Colm’s pawn?”
“Don’t you dare pretend you’re a victim,” Rhielle snapped. Her jaw ticked, and her eyes flashed. “People died because of you.”
Myantha pressed trembling hands to Quen’s shoulders, trying to hold her back. “We should talk—”
“Stay out of this, peace lover. We can't all get along after what they did!” Quen barked.
I bit back a sigh and took in our resting place.
The tension was thick enough to choke on, but the strangeness of the room settled over me.
It looked far different from the last time we were here.
The chamber’s mystical pulse was gone, with no more shimmering walls or swirling shadowlight.
It was just cold stone and stale air. The crimson hue of the water had faded, and the only illumination came from the flickering oil lamps scattered throughout.
A stark contrast to a couple of days ago when Vyraetos and those loyal to my family had vested the power of the Shadow Kingdom in me.
The column and the orb in the center of the room remained, but the orb now rested on the top of the column instead of floating.
A dark wooden door stood partially ajar on the far side of the chamber, revealing a narrow closet-like space.
Inside, shelves contained the ceremonial cloths, empty oil containers, chipped bowls, and worn linens for ceremonies performed by Vyraetos and the Shadow Council members that required items other than pure magic.
The sink in the back corner trickled drops of clear water.
Aside from lamp oil and water, the room held little of real use now that ceremony had given way to survival.
To my right loomed the main entrance, still hidden behind the heavy carved panel that had once required magic to reveal.
Now, it was just another door connecting to the primary access points that led to the actual palace.
The left exit led back into the caves, toward the narrow river that cut through a small embankment.
If we needed to run, there were half a dozen tunnels we could take, assuming they hadn’t collapsed or been overrun.
Elara had done what she always did, finding order in chaos.
Even with limited supplies and dragging wings, she’d made sure everyone would be as comfortable as possible here.
A section of the circular room had been converted into sleeping quarters.
Dark-blue wool blankets formed neat sleeping areas, buffering against the cold and rough stone floor.
Elias lay curled under one, face hidden in the crook of his arm, chest rising steadily with sleep.
“Enough!” Siray lifted her hand. “We don’t have time for this.” She stepped forward, a scowl on her face. “You think I want to be here? I came because my family’s imprisoned, not to relive a bloody trial.”
Quen scoffed. “You expect sympathy from me after the stunt you pulled during the first trial?”
“Careful.” Siray narrowed her eyes. “We did what we needed to do in order to survive, and I don't have time for weaklings. I'd have let you back in the circle if you’d proved you were strong enough.”